GNU bug report logs - #25009
ls -b fails to escape '-' c-style (ls (GNU coreutils) 8.21)

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Kay Parker 	  <kayparker <at> mailite.com>
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org
Subject: ls -b fails to escape '-' c-style (ls (GNU coreutils) 8.21)
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2016 15:02:53 -0800

ls -b  (ls (GNU coreutils) 8.21): fails to escape '-' 
1\ 2\ 3\ -\ 4\ -5\ 6
should be: 1\ 2\ 3\ \-\ 4\ \-5\ 6


-- 
  Kay Parker       
  kayparker <at> mailite.com

-- 
http://www.fastmail.com - Does exactly what it says on the tin

Message #12 received at 25009-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eric Blake <eblake <at> redhat.com>
To: Kay Parker <kayparker <at> mailite.com>, 25009-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#25009: ls -b fails to escape '-' c-style (ls (GNU coreutils)
 8.21)
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2016 17:27:48 -0600

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

tag 25009 notabug
thanks

On 11/23/2016 05:02 PM, Kay Parker wrote:
> ls -b  (ls (GNU coreutils) 8.21): fails to escape '-' 
> 1\ 2\ 3\ -\ 4\ -5\ 6
> should be: 1\ 2\ 3\ \-\ 4\ \-5\ 6

Why? The documentation states:

  -b, --escape               print C-style escapes for nongraphic characters

but - looks like a graphical character to me, so it doesn't need an escape.

I don't see a problem here, so I'm marking this as not a bug; however,
feel free to followup with more details, such as better justification
for why - should be treated as a nongraphic character.

-- 
Eric Blake   eblake redhat com    +1-919-301-3266
Libvirt virtualization library http://libvirt.org

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Message #15 received at 25009 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
To: 25009 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, eblake <at> redhat.com, kayparker <at> mailite.com
Subject: Re: bug#25009: ls -b fails to escape '-' c-style (ls (GNU coreutils)
 8.21)
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2016 23:34:20 +0000

On 23/11/16 23:27, Eric Blake wrote:
> tag 25009 notabug
> thanks
> 
> On 11/23/2016 05:02 PM, Kay Parker wrote:
>> ls -b  (ls (GNU coreutils) 8.21): fails to escape '-' 
>> 1\ 2\ 3\ -\ 4\ -5\ 6
>> should be: 1\ 2\ 3\ \-\ 4\ \-5\ 6
> 
> Why? The documentation states:
> 
>   -b, --escape               print C-style escapes for nongraphic characters
> 
> but - looks like a graphical character to me, so it doesn't need an escape.
> 
> I don't see a problem here, so I'm marking this as not a bug; however,
> feel free to followup with more details, such as better justification
> for why - should be treated as a nongraphic character.

Note you may be expecting ls to quote the file name
so that it's subsequently usable as a parameter to a command.
In that case --quoting=shell is more appropriate.

Message #18 received at 25009 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
To: 25009 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, eblake <at> redhat.com, kayparker <at> mailite.com
Subject: Re: bug#25009: ls -b fails to escape '-' c-style (ls (GNU coreutils)
 8.21)
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2016 23:37:59 +0000

On 23/11/16 23:34, Pádraig Brady wrote:
> On 23/11/16 23:27, Eric Blake wrote:
>> tag 25009 notabug
>> thanks
>>
>> On 11/23/2016 05:02 PM, Kay Parker wrote:
>>> ls -b  (ls (GNU coreutils) 8.21): fails to escape '-' 
>>> 1\ 2\ 3\ -\ 4\ -5\ 6
>>> should be: 1\ 2\ 3\ \-\ 4\ \-5\ 6
>>
>> Why? The documentation states:
>>
>>   -b, --escape               print C-style escapes for nongraphic characters
>>
>> but - looks like a graphical character to me, so it doesn't need an escape.
>>
>> I don't see a problem here, so I'm marking this as not a bug; however,
>> feel free to followup with more details, such as better justification
>> for why - should be treated as a nongraphic character.
> 
> Note you may be expecting ls to quote the file name
> so that it's subsequently usable as a parameter to a command.
> In that case --quoting=shell is more appropriate.

Actually 1\ -\ 2 is fine as a command parameter
(as the shell doesn't split it).
Sorry for the noise

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